The Australian skipper has claimed 309 Test scalps in 71 appearances with an impressive average.
The Australian selection chief George Bailey has stated that skipper Cummins will be a central figure in the upcoming Ashes series.
There were concerns that the veteran bowler might be unavailable due to a stress fracture in his back that had not yet healed.
Previous updates from the Australian camp suggested no final decision had been made regarding his involvement, with the extended contest set to start on 21 November in Western Australia.
Bailey expressed that Cummins is "building up" and was "optimistic" about the prospects of taking part.
"We're aware that the clock is ticking and various factors involved, aside from his injury, but other factors as well," he commented.
"The outlook is good. [We are] really confident that he'll participate in a major part. Ideally starting in Perth. Should that not happen, then we'll pick it up."
Previous Setbacks
Cummins was ruled out the ODI and T20 games against both Asian and Trans-Tasman rivals in the previous weeks after examinations confirmed a stress reaction in his back.
There is a track record of back injuries, with setbacks in multiple past seasons leading to absences from three Australian summers in a limited period.
He emphasized he would be proactive in his approach in his recovery plan to secure his spot for the contest.
He mentioned that it was unclear if the captain had resumed bowling as part of his recovery but acknowledged it was "pressing" for him to be fit for the opener.
Backup Options
If he's unavailable, former captain Steve Smith will take over the captaincy.
The talented all-rounder was withdrawn recently from the ODI lineup for their one-day international series against the Asian giants as a preventive step because of soreness in his side.
The selector characterized it as a "small issue and mentioned that he's scheduled to appear in the state-level matches, so will be "well-prepared to resume bowling."
"Considerable effort has gone into building out the plan for him to participate for the first Test as an dual-role player," Bailey explained.
"His involvement was limited to the first two ODIs regardless. His aggressive style the willow in shorter formats, should it hinder progress for 24 more hours, we opted to adopt a safer strategy."
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